In the formation of containers, such as can bodies formed from aluminum, it is conventional to use a redraw assembly, a plurality of ironing die assemblies, a domer assembly and a stripping assembly. In such a process, a punch is mounted on a reciprocating ram which moves into the redraw assembly and has a cup or can blank positioned thereon and then moves through the ironing die assemblies to have the cup formed into a can body. The punch moves the cup and the formed can body completely through the ironing die assemblies so that the formed can body may be domed and then stripped from the punch during the return stroke of the ram. The length of the stroke of the ram during this operation is fairly long and the punch is exposed to large forces as it moves through the plurality of ironing die assemblies. Since the can body has been removed from the punch, the outside diameter of the punch on the return stroke is now smaller than the inside diameter of the forming die assembly and because of the cantilever mounting of the ram, there is a tendency for some portion of the punch to strike a portion of one of the ironing die assemblies on the return stroke. This tendency is increased during the continuous operation of the can body making machine. When the punch is secured on the ram, there is a tendency to bulge the punch slightly at the center which in some instances is about 0.0004 of the diameter of the punch. During the operation of the can body making machine, the temperature of the punch rises and increases the bulge. The result is wear on the punch which results in improperly formed sidewalls of the can bodies which causes problems in stripping the can bodies from the punch and in weakening the strength of the sidewalls so that the can body making operation has to be stopped to replace the punch.